Clash of the Regions
by PokemonTrainer12
Summary: Red, Blue (male), Lance, Cynthia, Steven, and Iris team up to take down the leaders of Teams Rocket, Magma, Aqua, Galactic, and Plasma.
1. Astonishing News

I recall Pikachu to its Poké Ball and sit down on the snow-covered ledge of Mt. Silver.

Staring out across the endless land stretching out in front of me, it feels very peaceful, very quiet. Being up here lets me think. Perhaps the clear, cool air helps. And besides, I'm not afraid of heights; I fly all the time on my Aerodactyl.

My thoughts wander to my rival, Blue, who is Gym Leader of Viridian City. Perhaps I should pay him a visit one day. It's been a long time— one whole year to be exact.

Where to go now? Maybe I should return home to Pallet Town. It'll be nice to see Professor Oak again, and it's about time my Pokédex is evaluated.

With that settled, I stand up. I call Aerodactyl out of its Poké Ball and jump onto his back. "To Pallet Town," I whisper into its ear.

Obediently, Aero spreads its wings and lifts itself up into the cloudy sky.

Snow had been floating around me gently on the mountain, but high up in the atmosphere, the wind billows harshly around us, and each little snowflake feels like a tiny piece of freezing-cold ice.

Thankfully, it isn't long before we land on the familiar green grass of Pallet Town. The change in weather here is dramatic- cold and snowy to warm and sunny.

"Welcome back," One of the kids—children who are too young to be Trainers— calls over to me from where he is playing with the others.

The kids all pause a moment to greet me. I wave back to all of them.

Before I see Prof. Oak, I stop by my home to visit my mother.

"Hi, Mom," I say as I slowly open the door. For some odd reason, I feel nervous about coming home.

There is complete silence. I call again, louder this time. Opening the door wider, I can see that she is not there. I close the door.

"Hey," I call over to the nearest neighbor. "Do you know where my mom went?"

"I think she went shopping," he replies. "She'll probably be back in an hour or so."

Disappointment wells up inside me. "Oh,"

I decide to see the Professor first instead.

"Professor Oak?" I call into his laboratory. My voice bounces off of the walls. No one is home. _Weird, _I step inside.

The only light shining is the natural sunlight from outside. Even so, parts of Professor Oak's lab are dimmer than others. Eerie shadows are cast all over the walls and floor, making the building seem long-abandoned. The unnerving silence is making me feel as though something is secretly spying on me from behind the door, waiting for the right moment to strike.  
_  
This Poké Ball is empty. _I peer inside a vacant Ball that is labeled "Pidgey" on the white half. _So are the rest of these. _Looking down the shelf, I see rows and rows of Pokémon-less Poké Balls.

I hear a faint rattling sound behind me. Spinning around, I see one Poké Ball that actually contains a Pokémon. There is no label on it. Excitement courses like lightning through me: What if this is a newly discovered Pokémon? I reach over to pick up the Ball; then stop myself. I could get in serious trouble if someone thought I was stealing. It's happened before. _I'll just keep it here in the lab. _I decide. _Nothing will happen. _

It's a little Pokémon that looks like a shark with feet. There is a small nick in its dorsal fin. Curious eyes look up at me.

"Hi there," I begin, crouching down to get on eye level with it. "I've never seen a Pokémon like you before. What's your name?"

No response.

"Well I've got to call you _something_."

Still no reply.

"Okay, well, I'll call you um…Shark. You look like one."

Shark now looks directly into my face. I think he likes his new nickname; he looks like he's smiling. I notice pointy teeth lining the inside of his mouth. I wouldn't like to be bitten.

Shark now looks away from me and runs to a dark corner of the lab. He turns back to me expectantly, as if he wants me to follow. I slowly take a step after him. The Pokémon nods in approval. When I'm standing over it, knowing that it now has my undivided attention, Shark reaches under a desk and pulls out a folded piece of paper and hands it to me. I unfold it and begin to read.

"_Red,  
_ _There is something very important I must discuss with you. Meet me at the entrance to Victory Road. Don't tell anyone where you are going. Come as quickly as you can.  
_–_Lance"_

When I look up, Shark is nowhere to be seen. But I don't have time to go looking for him- I need to go to Victory Road to meet Lance, the recently-made Champion of the Indigo Plateau. Besides, Lance probably sent Shark to me, so it must be safe.

"Let's go, Aero," I leap onto the prehistoric Pokémon's back. "To Victory Road!"

* * *

"Glad you could come," Lance's familiar voice greets me.

"Same here," I reply. I can't help but feel a twinge of suspicion as to why Lance would request for me to come so far out to meet him. "What to do you want to discuss with me?"

Lance's smile fades away and is replaced by a frown. His expression is thick with worry. "I'm afraid that it is bad news."

For something to bother the master of Dragons, it must be really dreadful.

"Yesterday I received a letter from Clair, telling me that Team Rocket is grouping together once again, and this time it's the direst situation ever."

"How?" I ask. I hope it's not true, but Lance's face is deadly serious.

"According to Clair's letter, Team Rocket has allied with other evil organizations across the world."

It's like being hit in the chest with a Mega Punch, and for a few moments I'm too stunned to even breathe.

I finally recover my voice. "W-what?!"

"I know it's hard to grasp, but you must believe me." Lance stares deep into my eyes. When I stare back, I can see honesty. "Okay," I take a deep breath. "What are we going to do about this?"

Lance nods as if he was expecting my question. "I have contacted Champions from the other regions of Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova. They have all agreed to stand and fight beside us. Will you stand with us?"

I nod solemnly. I'm ready to give my all to protect people and Pokémon alike.


	2. Let The Journey Begin!

I decide to give my rival and friend Blue a call. If there are shady characters running around, Blue wants to know, and he'll want in as well. That's a good thing because we need his help.

"Hello?" A voice answers on the other end of the phone.

"Hi, Blue," I say. Briefly, I fill him in on what's happened.

"I'll come too," he says determinedly. "I can't just sit around when wicked people are wreaking chaos."

I'm not surprised Blue would be so eager.

"By the way," I add before hanging up. "We are meeting tomorrow morning near the peak of Mt. Silver. Lance wants as much privacy as we can get. He doesn't want spies listening in on our plans."

"Do we have plans?"

"Well, not yet."

"All right— Tomorrow morning: Mt. Silver. Got it."

There's a small _beep _on the other end as Blue hangs up. I put away my phone. It feels better knowing that we have another Trainer on our side.

Pikachu is nervous. I can tell by the way he fidgets. I want to tell Pika that things will be fine, but I feel the exact same way.

I glance at my other Pokémon inside their Balls. Poliwrath seems anxious, Venusaur looks nervous but determined, Aerodactyl roars a challenge to an invisible enemy, and Espeon and Gyarados are more than ready to take on the people who have hurt them in the past.

What is worrying me is that we won't just be battling Team Rocket— other evil groups are allied with them. But, strangely, it doesn't matter anymore. My Pokémons' feelings give me strength. Now I feel prepared to take on anyone. Let a hundred villains come: I'm ready.

* * *

The next morning at dawn I start off on foot. I would fly, except that Aero's wing beats would rouse all of Pallet Town. I walk until I know for sure no one is within earshot of beating wings; then I release Aero into the sky and fly off to Mt. Silver.

I eventually land at the peak. I quickly spot a cave several yards away and run towards it, which is difficult when the rocky terrain is covered with several inches of snow.

Inside, there is not much light, but I can pick out Blue, Lance, and three Trainers I have never seen before. They must be the other Champions whom Lance told me about.

"Do the Gym Leaders know about this?" I ask Lance.

"Yes, but they need to stay in their own towns to protect the citizens," Lance replies. "That is, except Blue."

Turning to the Trainers behind him, Lance introduces them to Steven of Hoenn, Cynthia of Sinnoh, and Iris of Unova. Then he introduces me to them.

"Now that we're all acquainted, let's get down to business. You all know why I called you up here." The five of us nod, and Lance continues, "The evil groups that we have fought in the past have united."

Next to me, I hear Steven mutter to himself, "They must have some grand plan if Team Aqua and Team Magma are working together."

"Does anybody have any clue as to where they are meeting?" Lance asks.

"It's definitely a top-secret place," says Iris. "And it must be big enough to hold all their goons."

"Excellent, Iris,"

"There's no place in Sinnoh for them to meet. Except maybe for Mt. Coronet. But I don't see how it could be useful to them." Cynthia puts in.

"How about Team Magma's former hideout?" Steven suggests. "It's very spacious; definitely enough room for everyone."

"Good," Lance nods. "Do you know where it is located?"

"The foot of Mt. Chimney,"

"Mt. Chimney it is, then."

Iris is very excited. "When do we leave?"

"Sunset," Lance says. "We'll spend today preparing for the journey."

I'm impressed. Lance figured all this out before we even identified the hideaway's location. If it is the correct site, that is. We can only hope.

* * *

After stopping at the nearest Poké Mart to pick up some food and water, I fly back home.

I still have a little time before we meet again at the Indigo Plateau, so I visit Yellow's house.

"You're going on a trip?" She figures it out right away. I don't know how she does it.

"Yep. I don't know how long I'll be gone." I'm careful to avoid telling her where exactly I'm heading.

"Well in that case, Chuchu will want to say good-bye to Pika before you leave."

Yellow's long ponytail swishes out behind her as she spins around to yell into her house, "Chuchu! Pika wants to say hi before he leaves for a trip." Less than a moment later Chuchu streaks out of the house and straight towards Pika.

"Aww… How cute!" Yellow beams as we watch the two Pikachu run around together. "Which reminds me; I wonder how Pichu is doing? I bet Gold is taking very good care of it."

Some time ago, Pika and Chuchu made an Egg together at the Day-Care Center in Johto. Under Gold's hand it hatched and the baby Pokémon was named "Pichu."

I glance upward and see that the sun has already begun to set.

"Come on, Pika!" I call out to my Pikachu. "We've got to go, now."

Pika says a quick good-bye to his girlfriend and returns to his Poké Ball.

As we rise higher into the air, Yellow and Chuchu wave until they are just tiny dots below. I faintly hear Yellow call, "Good luck!"

* * *

I'm the last one to arrive at the Indigo Plateau. We immediately set off on our Flying Pokémon. Steven leads the way on his Skarmory; followed by Iris, who is on a Pokémon called Archeops; Blue on the back of Charizard; Cynthia flies on a Togekiss; me on Aero, with Lance bringing up the rear on Dragonite.

For the first hour or so, the only sound is the wing beats of the Pokémon.

Iris breaks the silence. "How long will it take to reach Hoenn, Steven?"

"Several hours; half of a day at most."

"I think you should be in the front, Blue." Lance tells the Viridian Gym Leader. "Charizard's flame on its tail can serve as a guiding light so we can see even better."

Hearing that, Steven slows down to let Blue pass him. With Charizard in the lead, we can see even better than ever.

Eventually the land the Johto region gives out to the wide ocean. The water is a very deep blue, almost black. It would be bad to be caught in a sudden thunderstorm. I can't help but glance around the atmosphere to check for possible storm clouds. Thunder rumbles loudly behind us. I spin my head around to see the sky being devoured at a fast pace by a colossal thundercloud.

"Go faster, Aero," I urge it forward.

Lance sees me pass by him and turns Dragonite around to look. He spins back and yells a command to our Pokémon, which consequently put on more speed.

But the clouds soon catch up to us, causing the sky to turn pitch black. The gloom obscures our sight so that we can barely even catch a glimpse of Charizard's flame.

Wind and rain buffet our Pokémons' flight, and each one of us is struggling to keep them on track.

Blinding light flashes right next to me, and immediately is followed by the deafening crash of thunder.

On the bright side (literally), the lightning illuminates the darkness for a moment, so I can catch a glimpse of where everyone else is. All of our Pokémons' flight is wobbly and not just because of the wind. "Be careful everyone! I think our Pokémon are afraid of the lightning." Each of our Pokémon is part Flying-Type, and a Flying Pokémon's weakness is Electricity.

"Lance!" A loud clap of thunder swallows my voice. "We can't keep flying like this! We have to land for now."

"But where can we land?" Steven's yell is barely audible. "We're caught in a storm in the middle of the ocean! I don't see any earth below—"

Iris's ear-piercing shriek cuts through the howl of the wind. I whirl around on Aero to see Cynthia and Togekiss plunging unconsciously towards the deep water below. They've been struck by lightning.


	3. Mission: Rescue Togekiss

"Hold on!" Blue pulls Charizard down into a spiral dive after them.

"Blue, wait! Charizard's tail…" My voice falls away when I realize that there is no way he can hear me. I seem to be the only one who notices it- the flame on Charizard's tail is going out. There is too much rain and wind for Charizard to handle.

Without thinking twice, Aero folds back his wings and dives after Blue.

"Blue, stop!" I fly next to him. "Charizard can't take this weather. Let me go after Cynthia." Without waiting for his answer, I speed past him.

It's taking me and Aero both a ton of focus to concentrate on Cynthia and Togekiss while not losing control, because steep diving like this is extremely difficult and maybe even dangerous.

I reach them just in time. I stretch out my hand and grab hers. Her eyes flutter open, and immediate relief spreads across her face, but is instantly replaced by sheer panic.

"Return Togekiss to its Ball. Now!" I yell.

"I-I can't. It fell into the water."

"Here— grab onto Aero." I guide Cynthia's hand to take hold of Aero's foot. Knowing that Aero has a strong grip on her, I let go and plunge into the water. Cynthia may be safe, but Togekiss isn't.  
_  
Come on, Poli: I need your help. _

With me and Poliwrath searching, we can find Togekiss in no time. We don't have much time at all. We have to find Togekiss quickly, but, unfortunately, the storm taking place on the surface is also affecting the ocean. The violent currents toss us around like toys. The deep, dark world around me is turning upside-down, sideways, and backwards. To make matters worse, the salt in the water is making my eyes sting. But I can't give up— not with a Pokémon's life on the line. It takes every bit of strength I've got to kick against the current.

There! I see a faint white shape sinking deeper into the water. I motion to Poli, and we swim closer. Warm relief floods my body. It's Togekiss! Poli extends an arm and wraps it around the poor Pokémon.

Poli and I break the surface. Before I can so much as take a breath, a huge wave crashes above us, and I'm forced back under the water. At least Poli and Togekiss are safe— Beneath the swirling water I can make out someone swooping down to pick them up.

I've run out of oxygen. My chest is tightening up, and I'm completely drained of energy. As I sink, a hand reaches down, grabs hold of my shirt, and drags me out of the water. Suddenly I'm blasted with air— fresh air! I gulp it down, savoring each breath going in and out of my aching lungs. Coughing up seawater, I focus my eyes on Lance.

His scathing words hit me faster than a lightning bolt. "What on earth were you thinking, diving into a stormy sea like that? You could have drowned doing such a dangerous thing!"

"No, Lance, he was trying to save Togekiss!" Cynthia flies over, Aero's sure grip still fastened to her shoulders. "You saw what happened. The poor thing got hit by lightning! You should be thanking Red, risking his life like that."

Lance falls silent, understanding that Cynthia is speaking the truth.

"Poli...Where are Poliwrath and Togekiss?" I sit upright, desperately scanning the churning waves for the Pokémon. "Poli!" I cry out.

"It's okay, Red," Steven's reassuring voice breaks in. "Poliwrath and Togekiss are safe with me."

"Poliwrath!" Safe on Skarmory's back are the two Pokémon.

"The storm isn't as bad now, and the wind is with us." Blue informs us. "It should be smooth sailing, or flying, from here until we reach Hoenn."

"That's a relief." I sink onto Dragonite's back. The effort of swimming through wild water has caught up to me. Thoroughly exhausted, I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.

* * *

"Look!"

Iris's excited, high-pitched voice wakes me with a jolt. I open my eyes to see her eagerly pointing her index finger towards a misty shape on the water looming ahead. Yellow, red, and pink rays of dawn light make the land appear in silhouette.

"Is that…?" Cynthia's voice trails off in awe.

"Yes," Steven, who has taken the lead once again, looks back at us with a smile on face. "Welcome to the Hoenn region!"

"We've made it," Blue is more relieved than enthusiastic.

The five Pokémon effortlessly land in a forest under Steven's direction.

"This is good," Steven jumps off of Skarmory. "We are very close to Mt. Chimney. We will hike the rest of the way."

"Can't we fly over the mountain?" Iris complains.

"If we fly, we might attract attention from other people. Mainly, the enemy."

"Oh. I get it!"

Steven gestures with his arm. "Then let us be on our way."

For the longest time we walk in silence.

As we climb farther up, I notice a peculiar thing. "How come the temperature rises as we get higher?"

"That's odd," Blue agrees. The others nod their heads.

"At the top of Mt. Chimney lies a dormant volcano." Steven explains. "It has taken a very long time for the volcano to reawaken, ever since Team Aqua extinguished it about a year ago." he adds with a tinge of bitterness.

"How terrible," Cynthia sniffs. "Why would they try to kill a volcano, though? I see no point in it whatsoever."

"There were two evil organizations— both of which I suspect have allied themselves with the other villains— Aqua and Magma. Their ideas were completely opposite of each other. Team Aqua wanted to expand the sea, while Team Magma sought to make more land. To accomplish this, however, they each required a specific Pokémon. Kyogre had the power to create colossal waves and flood the lands, while the Continent Pokémon Groudon had the ability to dry up the water using intense heat."

"So as you can guess, the teams were bitter rivals. Each raced to find either the Red Orb or the Blue Orb, which could control the Legendary Pokémon they were after. They eventually succeeded in awakening they Legendary Pokémon, and it caused great chaos within Hoenn. The weather got completely out of control. The two titans clashed at the site where their ancient battle took place many, many years before: Sootopolis City."

"Thanks to the efforts of many brave Trainers, Rayquaza was awakened and stopped the deadly fight. Groudon and Kyogre peacefully returned to their resting places."

"That's amazing, Steven," Iris claps her hands. "I'm glad that _that's_ over."

"Not quite, Iris. Team Aqua and Team Magma could be plotting something along with Team Rocket and the other teams." Lance points out.

"Well, let's hope we get to their hideout soon." Blue says impatiently. "We have to stop them before something even worse than wild weather happens."

It takes what seems like forever, but after reaching the peak of Mt. Chimney, and carefully climbing back down on the opposite side, we reach the base once again, but this time we have arrived at our destination.

Except… It's nowhere to be seen.

"Where's the entrance?" asks Lance.

"Relax," Steven assures everyone. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a strange circle with a symbol engraved on it. Almost at once the ground shudders beneath our feet. It feels as though Groudon is approaching.

The earth gives one last quake and is still. Nothing moves for a few heartbeats. _Thud. _A gaping hole has appeared in what seemed to be the side of the mountain.

"Is this Team Magma's hideout?" Iris whispers.

Steven nods and tucks the emblem back into his pocket. "Be on your guard," he warns. Hands ready on our Poké Balls, we follow him into the cave.

The interior is pale-reddish stone. The wall's rocks feel warm to the touch, as if a fire is ignited within them. Steam erupts out of small holes here and there, making it all the hotter. Thinking back about Team Magma's schemes, I can see why they chose this place for a base.

As we go further inside, I notice that something seems wrong, and I think the others sense it too. It's completely silent. Too silent. We expected an ambush the minute we stepped inside. Something's not quite right. The enemy is probably waiting for the right moment to strike. Maybe they even were expecting us to come. Wait— that would be crazy. They couldn't have found out that we have found out about their allied forces. Not after all the security measures Lance took. And only Clair knew about their scheme beforehand. I toss the ridiculous thought out of my head. _Perhaps the teams are further in. _I decide. But one more consideration manages to sneak inside my brain— maybe they're not here at all.


	4. Enter the Magma Hideout

The tension remains with us as we make our way through the winding maze of ledges and caverns into the deepest part of the lair.

"Do…do you think that…they're still around here?" Blue huffs after we've scaled what feels like the thousandth ledge. "I'm exhausted."

"If I have to climb another ridge, I'll puke." Iris moans, and collapses onto the stone floor.

"My legs feel like jelly." Cynthia agrees with just a touch of humor in her voice.

Lance nods. "All right. We can take a short break." Everyone immediately allows their legs to give out.

I don't sit down. The butterflies in my stomach won't allow it. Instead I gaze around restlessly. The high ledge where we are has given us a 360-degree view in case of an ambush. It's a small comfort compared to the tension surrounding everybody.

"Check it out! There's magma around here!" Iris says. Sure enough, a lake of lava rests just a few yards to the south.

"Ouch," Blue winces, obviously thinking about the possibility of falling in.

After a long pause, Cynthia speaks up. "I'm hungry." As if to emphasize, a low growl emits from her stomach.

"Heh. So am I," Blue's stomach echoes the complaint.

"Did anyone bring their own lunch?" I ask.

"You bet!" Iris reaches into her backpack and pulls out a lunchbox.

We eat a quick meal. Oddly enough, the tension on our backs seems to go away for a while. We even chat with one another, in lowered tones.

"Well, I'm ready to continue," I say with a loud burp. Everyone packs up, and we're on our way once again.

"Here's a cave." Steven points to yet another one. "Let's go in."

"Woah."

For an underground area, this place is _huge_! The ceiling is at least twenty feet above our heads. Towards the bottom, machines of all sorts line up against the red walls.

"Listen!" Lance puts his finger to his lips in a gesture for us to be quiet.

We all listen hard. At the very bottom of all the complicated rock ridges and walls, there are voices. People! When I listen even closer, I can make out one vaguely familiar voice… Giovanni! The leader of Team Rocket! But who are the others he is talking to? The leaders of the other organizations? I'm guessing so. Based on their lowered tone of voice, I'd say they're discussing something very important- definitely whatever evil design they've come up with.

I glance sideways at Blue. I can tell he recognizes the boss of Team Rocket's voice, too.

"I can hear Ghetsis," Iris almost growls.

Cynthia's eyes narrow. "Cyrus is here, too."

"Archie and Maxie are with them as well," adds Steven.

"I recognize Giovanni's voice," I say.

"They're all here," Blue confirms. We nod in unison. It is time to confront them, and stop their evil schemes once and for all. We don't know their plot, but we don't care. As Pokémon Trainers, it is our duty to prevent evil people from harming both innocent people and Pokémon.

* * *

While stepping as quietly as possible, we slowly make our way down the ledge. As we get closer to the bosses, we can pick up more and more of their conversation: "Time… dominate… meddling Trainers…" But it doesn't make any sense.

We duck behind a tall boulder. Now we are easily within earshot of their words.

"This will allow us to travel back in time. There we will take down all the Gym Leaders and every Elite 4." A man with spiky blue hair says.

"That's Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic." Cynthia whispers so quietly, she is barely audible.

"But won't those nosy brats just get in our way once again?" A green-haired man wearing a dark cloak growls a reply and thumps a strangely-shaped staff on the floor. "I'm tired of not being able to accomplish Team Plasma's goal to liberate Pokémon."

"That's the point, Ghetsis," Cyrus answers him calmly. "We will travel way back— back before those children even became Trainers!"

"Excellent!" Giovanni says approvingly. "Then we can rule this planet together, and no one will be able to stop us!"  
_  
It all comes back to ruling the world. _I roll my eyes. Part of me is tempted to jump up from behind our hiding place and yell, "Ruling the world? Yeah, right! Can't you think of something more _original_?"

Instead, I think about something more important. We need to discuss our plan of attack, but there's no way we can speak without being heard.  
_  
Ping! _A brilliant idea pops into my head. Carefully, I unlatch Vee's Poké Ball from my belt. With my Espeon's Psychic abilities, I can communicate with everyone using telepathy.  
_  
"Can you guys hear me?" _I call out.

Cynthia is the first one to answer. _"Red, is that you?" _  
_  
"We can all hear you," _Lance confirms.  
_  
"Good. We can discuss what we're going to do here." _I'm pleased that Vee's powers are working so well.  
_  
"So what _are _we going to do?" _Blue asks. _"We can't just jump out and start attacking. That would be the worst plan ever." _

Iris sends us a mental giggle.  
_  
"Maybe it is a good plan," _Steven reflects thoughtfully.  
_  
"What?!" _we all think at once.  
_  
"Just hear me out. The leaders would never be expecting us. After all, we came here in secret. If we can stun them with a surprise attack…"_

_"…We can take them out!"_ Iris finishes.

Lance nods. _"It appears that we are all in agreement, then,"_

"Let's do this!"

I almost exclaim out loud.  
_  
"Okay, but first things first: They were talking about some sort of time machine." _Blue thinks. _"We need to destroy it somehow. We are the only ones who can stop their plan, so let us proceed carefully!"  
_  
"So, how long do you think—" Archie is cut off as Blue leaps out from behind the boulder. "Hold it right there!"

"How on earth did you find us?!" Maxie gasps.

"I have my sources," Lance says almost dismissively.

"Drat! Maxie, you never said anything about meddlesome twerps snooping on us." Archie growls at his former rival.

"Give up," Cynthia and Iris both hold up their Poké Balls threateningly. Steven, Blue, and I move in position so that we have the leaders surrounded. Lance steps forward when he knows that the villains' eyes are all on him.

"Just what are you up to this time?" he demands.

Giovanni finds no point in playing dumb. "Well, since you've listened in on our private conversation, you know that we plan to take over the world and rule it together!"

"And there is nothing you brats can do about it," Maxie adds with a smug grin.

"And what makes you so sure about that?" Lance steps closer.

"Well…"

I can't help but wonder why these criminals would just let us surround them so easily like that. I would have expected them to at least put up a fight. It seems like they're stalling with Lance's question.

Beside me, Blue suddenly collapses onto the ground, out cold. Before any of us can react, the rest of the Trainers are knocked out right before my eyes, and I see hooded figures standing behind them. A tingling sensation creeps up my spine, as if I'm being watched. I whirl around to face a man in a red uniform standing behind me with his fist raised above his head. He swings his fist at me and I duck, blocking it with my arm. I instinctively kick out my leg, knocking him off his feet and banging his head against the wall. Now _he's _out cold.

Other members from various teams responsible for KO-ing my companions lunge for me. I ball up my fists and brace myself. As they strike at me, I do my best to duck away from the blows. I throw a punch at a man in blue uniform, and it connects with his nose. I kick him in the stomach. Winded, he stumbles backward and crashes into a metal machine. That's one.

Next it's two Team Rocket grunts. I grab their extended arms and swing them so that they crash into each other. They fall onto the ground, unconscious.

It's a three-on-one now, and there's only one thing I can think of to do…

"Go, Pika! Attack with Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu's Thunderbolt connects directly. "AAAAAGHH!" the villains shriek, and slump to the ground.

It seems like I've taken care of all of them. The only people standing are me and the Team leaders.

Before I can utter a sound, a hard blow thumps me on the back of my head. I stagger slightly, then collapse onto the floor. As my vision begins to grow dim, I manage to return Pika to its Poké Ball before anyone harms it.

I manage to focus my eyes on the figure standing over me; then the world goes black.


	5. Where is Everybody?

I don't know how long I've been unconscious, but I'm suddenly aware of a breeze blowing gently on my face. I slowly open my eyes.

I'm confused: I'm lying in a grassy field, not in a secret underground cave. Am I dreaming? No. When I pinch my arm, I feel a twinge of pain.

Then I remember Blue and the others. Where are they? Have they been captured? I have to find my friends, before anything bad happens to them.

My body feels stiff when I stand up, as though I've been laying there for days. I shake my head to clear the rest of the fog from my brain. When it lifts, I realize that something important is missing. My Pokémon— their Poké Balls have been stolen right from my belt! Without my comrades at my side, I feel exposed; empty; alone. Those villains must have taken them. Now I have to find Blue, Steven, Lance, Cynthia, Iris, _and_ my Pokémon.

I don't know where to start looking, because I have no clue as to where I am, so I just start walking in one direction and hope that I'm heading the right way.

Eventually I see tall buildings poking up from the terrain ahead of me. I might as well start there; to look for clues or something that will tell me where my friends are.

It looks like I've entered Celadon City: I recognize the Gym, and another familiar spot, and the Rocket Game Corner. Wait. Rocket? Team Rocket! Rocket Game is the name of their casino. It's definitely the best place to start looking if Blue and the others have been taken there.

I stop. I don't see a building where the Game Corner is, or was. What could have happened to it? It couldn't have been torn down; it never was, even after Team Rocket dispersed for the first time.

"Excuse me," I say politely to a passing local. "Where is the Rocket Game Corner? It's not here anymore."

He gives me a funny look. "'Rocket Game Corner'? Never heard of it, son."

"But…It was right here on this very spot." I point to the ground I'm standing on.

"Sorry. I don't know what you're talking about."

"Um, okay. Thank you, anyway."

The man nods politely and continues on his way.

Now I'm really confused. First I'm suddenly transported to the Kanto region, and second, there's no casino owned by Team Rocket. What has happened to this world?

* * *

I exit Celadon City. There's nothing helpful there. I would like to head for my home, Pallet Town, but it would be impossible to make such a long journey when I'm short on time. A pang of sadness hits me when I remember that Aero was stolen.

I need to figure out just what that heck is going on, but I have no clue as to where to start…

That's it! I can call Professor Oak. Maybe _he _can help me. If I can't walk home, I'll just call home. I quickly dial Prof. Oak's number on my PokéGear.

*RING RING*

"Hello?"

"Hi, Professor. It's Red."

"Red? _What_ is red?"

"It's _me_, Professor. I'm Red."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I pause for a moment to think.

"What about Blue, your grandson?"

"I don't know why you are talking about colors or who you are. And I do not have a grandson."

I'm so startled, I just hang up. Why doesn't Prof. Oak remember me or Blue? Sure, his memory can be a little fuzzy, but definitely not like that. Sometimes he even forgets Blue's name, and someone has to remind him*. But to say, without hesitation, that he does not have a grandson? It's unthinkable!

As I wander further away from the city, I try to think back on the previous events in Team Magma's hideout. Apparently, the fog has not completely lifted from my mind. I close my eyes, sit down under a tree, and think hard to regain the memories. Weren't the leaders discussing some sort device they had created? And didn't it have…the power to travel through time? No way… Did everyone present in the hideout… Go back in time?

I try to remember Cyrus' words at the hideout: _"That's the point, Ghetsis. We will travel way back— back before those children even became Trainers!"  
_  
No wonder the Game Corner doesn't exist— it wasn't built yet. And if this is before Blue and I were even Trainers… It also means that we don't exist yet. There's no point in returning to Pallet Town anymore.

* * *

I enter Saffron City. Immediately I notice a big change: Team Rocket is everywhere. They seized control over Saffron years ago, or, I guess in the time I'm currently in, years later. But it appears that they have accomplished this already.

The locals here are terrified of Team Rocket. They scurry the other way when they see a member coming. There are hardly any people out on the streets, except for the Rockets— in fact; nearly everyone has withdrawn into their houses with the drapes drawn.

"Hey, kid!" A Rocket Grunt grabs my shirt. The few people around us gasp and quickly back away. "You got any Pokémon?" the Rocket demands.

"No," I answer truthfully.

"Good," He roughly shoves me away after checking my belt to make sure. "You're lucky, brat— no one but Team Rocket is allowed to own Pokémon!" He struts off, nose in the air.

"You were so brave," A little girl comes up to me, admiration shining in her eyes.

"Team Rocket snatches all the strong Pokémon from us and releases the weaker ones." Her father angrily informs me. "If I still had my Machamp, I'd give them a piece of my mind!"

I sigh. "I wish I had my Pokémon. Mine were stolen, too. I'm pretty sure it was Team Rocket."

"I'm sorry," The girl grips my hand comfortingly.

"Where is their base?" I ask the father.

"We don't know. If you followed them, you may eventually reach their hiding place. The few brave souls who dared to do so never returned, however."

He's encouraging me to go, but there's also a warning along with his words. He thinks I can do it. I can tell that his daughter also feels the same way.

"I won't let you down," I nod my head at them and dash out of the city and onto Route 7.

Perfect! I spot a Rocket Grunt right away. I sneak up behind him; then _whok!**_ give him a good clout on the back of his head. I tug on the sweater and hat he's wearing and continue my way along the path the Rocketeer was headed. I know I'm on the right route because about fifty yards ahead is another member, walking in the same direction.

I'm curious if Team Galactic and the rest of the groups are here in Kanto. So far, I only see the Rockets.

I follow the Grunt deep into a forest and through a complex maze of trees and shrubs. Finally, the thick trees part to reveal a… small, rundown, metal shack? That can't be Team Rocket's secret hideout; it's way too tiny. But it seems to be the only building out here, and the Rocket is heading straight for it. And if Blue and the others and my Pokémon are all there, I have to continue to pursue this Rocketeer. We head underneath the surface of the earth, and the harsh natural sunlight is replaced by the slightly dimmer glow of manmade light bulbs. Sturdy steel walls and tile floors; this place was obviously very carefully planned out and built. There's also odd machinery placed here and there that look dangerous. On top of that, there are dozens and dozens of Rockets swarming the hideout.

I step carefully through the moving crowd. There must be some room where Blue and everyone else is being held, and I must find it.  
_  
Wham! _

What was that? It sounds like someone is trying to ram down a door.  
_  
Wham!  
_  
A Grunt chuckles to himself as he passes by a locked door. "They can try with all their might, but no one can break down that door." he mutters under his breath, but it's just loud enough for my ears, and it rings in them like music. My friends are in there! Quickly, I unlatch the door and slip in when no one is looking.

Blue immediately greets me by pouncing on my shoulders and shoving me onto the hard floor. He does not recognize me in the Team Rocket uniform. We wrestle furiously for a several moments; me trying desperately to free myself, and Blue, his arms gripping me in an iron grip. I finally manage to roll him over onto his back, hands planted firmly on his shoulders.

"It's me, Blue: Red!" I tell him for the fiftieth time from when I was so eagerly welcomed.

"What?" The rage in his eyes fades away. He blinks several times, as if trying to see if I'm an illusion. "Red?! How on earth did you find us?"

"I followed a Rocket down here." I glance around the room. "What happened to all of you?"

"Well, we were knocked out back at the Magma hideout. And by the time we wake up, we're locked inside a cell without our Pokémon. Just like that." Blue snaps his fingers. "Hey, do you mind letting up? You're crushing me."

"Sorry," I release my grip and Blue gets to his feet.

"What are they planning to do with you guys?"

"I'm not sure what they're going to do with us, but Team Rocket definitely plans to do something with our Pokémon." Lance sighs.

"And we just can't seem to bust down this door. Not even if we all slam into it at the same time." says Steven. "But since you unlocked it, we can at least get out." he adds in a cheerier tone.

"Let's go," I help Iris to her feet. "We should find our Pokémon, grab them, and trash this place if possible. It could put an earlier end to Team Rocket's schemes."

"Earlier end?" Blue echoes, perplexed.

"Well, you see…"

The six of us sprint down the long hallway that leads to Team Rocket's experimental lab, where we think our Pokémon are being kept. I run ahead while leading my friends because I'm sure I saw that very room when I entered this hideout; it was labeled: "EXPERIMENTAL POKéMON LAB" on a silver plate on the door. The door had no windows, so I couldn't see the inside, but I'm positive that that's the best place to store stolen Pokémon. Maybe the Rocket garb I'm still wearing is starting to make me think more like a Rocket. I sure hope not.  
Luckily, we arrive with no trouble at all. Maybe it's starting to get dark outside, so everyone is going to sleep.

I silently open the door. The lights have all been switched off, except for one suspended directly above a lab table. My gut wrenches with revulsion when I see many terrible utensils laid out on a smaller table; tools that are used for experimenting on many innocent Pokémon, including Gyara and Vee.

"Over there," Steven points to a covered room in the back. He reaches over and snatches it open. Inside, shelves of hundreds of stolen Pokémon still within their Poké Balls are lined up on trays.

"What creeps," Iris balls up her fists. "What are they planning to do with all these Pokémon?"

Cynthia sighs. "Who knows?"

"Hey! My Pokémon!" Blue grabs six Poké Balls off the nearest tray. "They're all safe," he breathes after quickly inspecting them.

"Here's Dragonite," Lance plucks a ball from a higher shelf.

"Metagross and Skarmory and everybody else!" Steven clips his Poké Balls onto his belt.

"Haxorus!" Iris cries joyfully when she spots her Pokémon.

Cynthia finds hers, but I can't see Pika or Poli or any of my Pokémon anywhere. I scan the shelves from top to bottom, but there's no sign of my comrades.  
_  
Don't give up yet, Red._ I tell myself. _They've gotta be around here somewhere._

The sound of fast-approaching footsteps reaches our ears. They slow down at the lab's entrance. "Hide!" Lance hisses. Everyone dives behind the nearest object that can possibly conceal our presence.

The door opens, and a scientist steps into the room, flanked by two Grunts. They have their heads bent towards each other, locked deep into what appears to be a serious discussion.

"Guys," I whisper to my friends. Since I don't have Vee, I can't use its powers. "I think if I distract them, you can get out safely with your Pokémon."

"Are you sure?" Cynthia asks uncertainly.

"Positive. I'm wearing the Team Rocket uniform, right?" I point to the red "R" on my sweater. "I look just like one of them."

"Where shall we meet once we're all out of here?" asks Blue.

"We'll head to a house I know of that is in a secret location." Lance decides. "And start looking for the device that will send us back to the present."

We're all in agreement.

"Good luck," Iris whispers to me as I pull aside the curtain.

"Um, excuse me," I clear my throat and walk over to the scientist.

The scientist raises an eyebrow. "Why are you in here?"

"I, um, was just checking on the Pokémon. Boss's orders."

He looks a little skeptical. I decide to keep talking. I walk to the side of the table facing the back room. "So, what are you doing? An experiment?"

"Yes, actually, we were about to conduct research on this Oddish." He holds up a small, round blue Pokémon with green leaves sticking up out of its head. My heart aches with pity for the poor Pokémon when I see the sheer terror in its eyes.

"We were just getting ready to start when you so rudely interrupted us." A Grunt glares at me.

"Hey, how was I supposed to know that you three were to come in here?" I hold up my hands defensively. "I'm just doing what I'm supposed to be doing."

I motion subtly with my hand to inform my waiting friends that they can move, now that I have all three Rocket members' eyes on me. Lance and the others move as quietly as mice, and they easily sneak out. I breathe a tiny sigh of relief, knowing that my friends will be safe, now that they have their Pokémon back, and that they are on their way to the outside world.

My mind snaps back into focus when I notice the first Grunt staring at me with suspicious eyes. "Do I know you?" he asks accusingly.

"Um…No. I don't believe so." I respond, trying not to sound nervous.

"Wait a sec—"

Without warning, he whisks my black hat off, revealing the red cap underneath it.

"I know you!" the Grunt declares. "You're that brat I bumped into at Saffron City. You disguised yourself and followed me into our secret hideout."

He waves his hand at the scientist, who immediately departs from the lab; probably to get help. Meanwhile, both Grunts each secure one of my arms in an iron grip, after strip-ping me of the Rocket uniform. At least now I can see my red jacket again.  
_  
Giovanni!  
_  
The Team Rocket leader strides confidently into the room. He stops, turns, and looks directly at my face.

"Well, well; if it isn't Red. What a pleasant surprise to see you here."

I only growl at him and continue to struggle to break out of the Grunts' grasp.

"Have you found your stolen Pokémon yet?" Giovanni asks coolly, ignoring my anger.

His question throws me off balance. How does he know that I haven't found Pika and my other Pokémon? I keep my mouth shut, silently glaring.

"I think I can help you with your search."  
_  
What?! _Giovanni wants to _help _me? Or…Is this a trick?

I struggle to keep my expression calm and my voice neutral. "Why would you want to do that? Are you just setting me up?" I say while meeting his piercing gaze evenly.

Giovanni does not reply. Instead, he snaps his fingers as a command for the Grunts to follow. The two Rockets obey and promptly escort me behind him.

He leads us to the deepest and darkest underground section of the hideout.

We stop at a door that is located in the way back of the basement.

Giovanni turns to face me. "I have kept your Pokémon in a very special place, Red."

He opens the door flicks the switch near it on. Lights flicker for a few seconds, and the brightness shines steadily after a moment. I brace myself mentally, expecting, but hoping otherwise, to see a terrible sight in front of me.

In the center of the room, placed on a table are six Poké Balls. I peer into them the best I can. Poli! And Pika, Vee, Snor, Saur, and Aero! They're all safe. My trusted partners smile at me, happy to be reunited with their Trainer.

I want to race over and embrace my Pokémon, but the Grunts still won't let go of me. I glance at Giovanni questioningly, but his face is solid as a stone, and he doesn't look at me. Frustration boils up inside me. He says he would help me find my Pokémon, but he won't let me retrieve them? I should have known better than to trust the leader of Team Rocket.

Giovanni finally speaks. "I suppose you are wondering why I set aside your Pokémon from your friends' Pokémon, and why we have kept them in such healthy conditions. You see, Red, I have wanted them like this."

I'm getting a bad, bad feeling about this. Giovanni's words tie my stomach up in knots.

He snaps his fingers, and four men in white lab coats enter the room. The scientist in the rear wheels up a table, covered with all the tools I saw in the experimental lab room.

No…They couldn't be…

Giovanni flashes an evil grin at me, knowing that I know what is about to happen.

"I just thought you might have wanted to see them healthy and strong one last time." he says, giving the scientists the signal to commence.

I desperately struggle to free myself from the Rockets, to rush over and protect my Pokémon, but their holds are as strong as steel. There's nothing I can do to save my comrades. I'm forced to watch the Rocket scientists move closer and closer, needles ready.

Suddenly, from deep within myself, I let out a scream. I scream louder than I've ever screamed before.

The Rocket scientists freeze in their tracks to cover their ears. The Grunts, with their hands still secured around my arms, grind their teeth together to help prevent themselves from letting go.

I can't control myself. I can't stop screaming. I sink to my knees on the cold, hard floor. I've gone completely numb. Tears blur my vision. The last thing I hear is a loud explosion, and one side of the room is flung against the opposite wall. I feel the pressure on my arms loosen, then disappear.

My head rests on the ground, and I darkness envelopes me.

* * *

***"Ah, yes, my only grandson...What's your name again?"  
**Anyone remember "Tauros the Tyrant?" I believe that's what it is called.**


	6. We Have to Find Them!

The first thing I see when I open my eyes is warm sunlight shining through a window. I blink several times to get my vision to focus. It appears that I'm in a house.

I push myself up into a sitting position on the couch I'm laying on and gaze around the room. On the table next to the sofa are six Balls. My Pokémon! I do not care how they are now with me; all that matters is that we are finally back together. I scoop up my Pokémon in a joyful embrace.

I notice that one thing is very different. I clip the Poké Balls onto my belt and rise from the couch to look around.

Voices are coming from a room down the hallway:

"Is he ever going to wake up?"

"Just give him time— we're all tired and need to calm down."

I cautiously turn the doorknob. Blue, Cynthia, Lance, Iris, and Steven are all sitting in the room.

"Awesome! You're awake!" Iris exclaims and jumps to her feet.

"Glad to see that you're up and about, Red," says Steven. "We were beginning to worry about you."

Blue snorts. "What's the matter, Red? Nothing to say? Not even a 'thank-you for rescuing me'?"

I give him a puzzled look. Rescuing me?

"We met up with some trouble on our way out." Lance explains when he sees my expression. "Team Rocket had completely sealed off the exit. So we decided to go back and help you if you needed it. We heard loud noises from the basement, and we went downstairs to investigate the source. The door was locked, and it was enforced with the same material that was made with the cell door, so we attacked the walls all at once with our Pokémons' attacks, and we busted the wall open. We found you passed out on the floor and your Poké Balls on the table. We took all seven of you back to this place, and while we rested, we waited for you to wake up."

I smile at my friends. I'm so lucky that they were there to save me and my Pokémon.

"You're…awfully quiet, Red. Is something wrong?" Steven's pale turquoise eyes stare intently at my face.

There _is _something wrong, but I can't tell him.

"You can tell us." Cynthia presses.

I stare at my friends' anxious faces. Then down at my feet, unable to meet their gazes any longer.

"Red," Iris says softly, "is there something that you're keeping from us? If it's really important and not personal, you can share it. But if you're not ready, then don't feel pressured."

Her gentle tone and kind words make me feel a lot better.

We continue to talk over lunch.

"We still have yet to figure out how to take down all the criminal leaders." Blue says, angrily taking a bite of his sandwich.

"The five of us managed to destroy the underground hideout and free the captured Pokémon as we escaped with you," Lance says to me. "And now we are left with defeating the leaders once and for all. The only problem is that we do not know if the leaders are all gathered in one place and, if they are, where their location is."

Giovanni was at the Rocket hideout. I wonder where he's gone to now.

"Do you know where Giovanni has moved, Red?"

I shake my head.

"Your silence is irritating me," Blue says through clenched teeth. "Just speak already, will you?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a pad of paper and a pen on the end of the table. I pick it up and write: _"I can't!"_

"Oh? What's the big secret, then?" Blue snaps.  
_  
"It's not that I won't talk…" _I write. _"It's that I CAN'T talk. I lost my voice."  
_  
Iris gasps. "You lost your _voice_?! How?!"

I write as fast as I can.  
_"When you guys escaped the lab, a Grunt recognized me from Saffron City, where he inspected me for Pokémon. Before I knew it, both Grunts in the room had pinned my arms behind my back. Giovanni had them escort me to the basement, where he was keeping my Pokémon. Rocket scientists were… _I let the ink trail off. I just can't write it, let alone say it._ I don't know what came over me, but I started to scream, and I couldn't stop. I blacked out when you guys blew up the wall." _

My friends fall silent as they read the paper. Then they look at me.

Blue doesn't say anything, but I can tell that he's sorry for snapping at me.

"It was pretty bad, huh?" Iris speaks softly, noticing the gap in my story.  
_  
"It doesn't matter. What matters is taking down Giovanni and the other leaders!" _I write, feeling determination course through my arm and onto the page.

Lance nods. "Red is right. We must search for them, and find them quickly."

"We can do it!" Iris pumps her fist in the air. "If we all work together, we can take them down!"

* * *

We depart from the house after making a few preparations. It feels great to be soaring through the air with the wind in my face once again, lifted up by Aero.

"We need to start somewhere," Cynthia says from her now-healed Togekiss. "It could take days or even weeks to find the Teams. And who knows where they're hiding now that we're in the past."

We need to be optimistic about this search, but she does have a point.

"All we can do is try, Cynthia." Lance replies steadily.

The six of us fly on for about two hours before Steven spots several Grunts from the various Teams traveling together through a broad forest below. Lance signals with his hand, and our Pokémon spiral down after them.

Once we land, we quickly recall our Flying Pokémon and start after the Grunts.

While avoiding the dead leaves and twigs that litter the forest floor, we noiselessly stalk the members. The Grunts halt in front of an ordinary-looking tree. One from Team Galactic pulls out a keycard engraved with every Team's insignia. He slips into a horizontal slot in the tree bark. He pulls it out, tucks it back into his belt, and the side of the tree descends into the earth to reveal an entrance. This place is obviously top-secret and very well hidden.

When Lance gives the signal, we rush at the Grunts. We quickly knock them out, and Blue takes the keycard from the Galactic Grunt. The entrance has returned to its original state. Blue slides the keycard through the slot in the bark, and we enter the hollow tree.

At first, the walls are wooden and very close together, but at the end of a short corridor is an elevator made of metal. Lance presses a button, and the elevator doors shut, and I can feel that we're descending underground.

Twenty seconds later, the doors part to reveal…

Trouble. Galactic Commanders Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are standing several yards off, Poké Balls in their hands.

"Trying to trespass, eh?" says Saturn. "Well, good luck getting past us: Team Galactic's Commanders!"  
_  
Pop! _Saturn sends out a Toxicroak. Mars and Jupiter copy him and release a Purugly and a Crobat.

Cynthia holds up her Garchomp's Poké Ball. "Don't worry guys. I can take these three on." she says confidently.

"I'll help you." Lance sends out Dragonite. "The rest of you get moving!"

We nod a quick thanks and hurry past the Commanders. Jupiter starts to send Crobat after us, but is swiftly blocked by Garchomp.

The area around us is humongous, with a dome made of compressed boulders for the ceiling. Stone meets steel all around us. It's like an underground moon base. It would potentially make an excellent battling arena, once this place is conquered.

At the end of the cave is a gap carved in the rock, just big enough for a grown man to squeeze through. Steven leads the way through a dark, narrow tunnel which eventually opens up to the other side.

Bright lights flash, making us squint. Five figures step in front of us. I don't recognize them, but Steven does.

"Mitch, Mack, Amber, Matt, and Shelly*. I suppose you're here to try and prevent us from advancing further?" he says in an oddly calm voice.

"Getting cocky, are you?" Shelly folds her arms across her chest. "We'll change that soon enough. Ludicolo, Nature Power!"

"Aaagh!"

The earth violently shakes due to Nature Power being turned into Earthquake. The four of us are knocked off our feet. The other Aqua and Magma Admins send their Pokémon out to join Shelly's.

"If that's the way you want to do it, then I have no choice— Metagross, Earthquake!" Steven calls out his Pokémon.

Shelly's Ludicolo and Mitch's Torkoal fall flat on their backs, unable to continue.  
_  
What power, _I think, looking at Metagross.

"Grrrr…" Mitch growls at Steven as he returns Torkoal to its Poké Ball.

"My turn," Mack steps in front of his defeated teammate. "Slugma, all-out Flamethrower!" His two Slugma shoot out long, searing streams flames at Metagross.

"Metagross, Psychic," commands Steven. Metagross's eyes glow intensely. The flames from Slugma freeze midway to their target, and are blasted right back at the Lava Pokémon.

Mack tries to go on the defensive. "Acid Armor!" he orders his Pokémon. The Slugma tighten up their liquid-lava bodies to protect themselves.

But Metagross's Psychic is too quick. In next to no time, Mack's Slugma are down and out.

"You guys are pathetic!" Matt mocks the Magma admins but not Shelly, his own teammate.

"We're gonna show you how Team Aqua fights," adds Amber.

I'm not worried. Although Matt and Amber seem like powerful Trainers, I doubt that Steven needs our help.

"Dang it!"Matt punches the ground next to his defeated Sharpedo.

Even Amber's strange Shedinja, a Ghost-and-Bug-Type Pokémon whose Ability is Wonder Guard— an Ability that only lets it be affected by super-effective damage— has no chance against Metagross's Shadow Ball.

"Who's pathetic now?" taunts Mack.

"You wanna bring it?" Matt retorts.

"Yeah!" Mitch holds up his fist to the Aqua Admin.

The brawling Admins pay no attention to us whatsoever as we slip away.

* * *

Ahead of us is another carved hole.

"Don't go that way," a voice pipes up. "You'll be heavily outnumbered by your enemies."

The four of us turn our attention to a young man with long green hair tied up in a ponytail approaching us.

"Who are you?" Steven asks suspiciously.

"My name is N. And like I said, you should not continue that way." He gestures to the hacked wall.

"We can take on the guys who are there, but you're saying there's another way past them, right?" Iris guesses.

N nods. "Besides," he casts his gray eyes down. "I couldn't stand watching Pokémon get hurt in battle."

I glance at this strange man curiously. I wonder why he dislikes Pokémon battles. It's usually just friendly competition, unless you're battling people like Team Rocket.

I shrug off my thoughts. If N is willing to assist us in reaching the Team leaders, then I'm willing to trust him.

N leads us through a detour through a tunnel that travels even deeper underground. We have to crawl on our hands and knees to avoid bumping our heads on the low ceiling.

"How much farther do we have to go?" Blue asks N after a few minutes.

"Not much longer," he replies. A beam of light appears above his head. "Here we are."

He hops out and helps each of us, one by one, out of the hole.

Steven thanks our guide.

N gives a small shrug. "It wasn't for you; it was for your Pokémon." he says in a soft voice.

"Where are you from, N?" asks Iris.

His gray eyes flash. "From a forest where abused Pokémon live,"

"Abused Pokémon?" my friends say in unison.

"Yes. Pokémon abused and abandoned in the past by humans."

Suddenly I feel nervous. Will he accuse us of abusing our Pokémon?

"Is that why you don't want our Pokémon to fight?" Iris asks.

"Yes. I wouldn't be able to stand seeing them injured."

"Did you travel back in time as well?" asks Blue.

"Yes. I have no idea why Ghetsis dragged me along."

"Did you say 'Ghetsis'?" Iris scowls. "I knew it! You're Team Plasma's king!"

N does not deny Iris's accusation. "Yes, I am. Or rather, I used to be. But things have gone too far, and I want to help in some way to stop Ghetsis."

Steven smiles. "Glad to have you on board, N."

Before we take another step, a familiar voice calls out. "Wait for us!"

It's Cynthia and Lance! They've finally caught up with us.

"How did it go?" Iris asks them.

"They weren't too much trouble, but they sure were stubborn." Cynthia replies.

"This is N," Steven introduces our new friend to Lance and Cynthia. "He's going to help us take down the bosses."

Lance nods. "That's great! We'll need all the extra help we can get."

"Let's get moving," Blue says impatiently. "I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't want to delay this any longer."

* * *

Thanks to N, we don't meet any more resistance along the path we take. Before us, a huge castle-like structure, built into the solid rock, is where the leaders await.

Blue turns to me. "You ready?"

I nod my head yes. What else can I do?

"Stick close to me," N warns as he slowly opens the large door at the entrance. He pokes his head inside to quickly survey the area for guards; then glances over his shoulder at us. "The coast is clear."

N leads us through many long hallways and doors with utmost caution. There is no one in sight so far; just like in the Magma hideout. It's making me uneasy. I think the others feel the same way.

"The leaders are right in here," N informs us, stopping at a tall door.

I can't help but feel suspicious as to why nobody was waiting for us. There's no way that our enemies could not have been expecting us to come for them.

Another thought enters my brain. What if this is all a trick? Suppose that N is leading us into a trap? But then…He was so sincere when he said that he wanted to help us stop Ghetsis and the other Team leaders. We have to trust him.

"I'll go in first," N says. "Wait for my signal."

The door creaks noisily when he opens it. He steps in and closes it, leaving just enough space so that we can see what's happening inside the room.

"You've finally made it, N." Ghetsis greets him.

N replies simply, "Have I missed anything?"

"Well, we were discussing our achievements!" Archie announces smugly. "Cyrus has taken complete control of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina; Ghetsis has liberated almost all the Pokémon in Unova; and Giovanni has taken over all of Kanto and Johto!"

Beside me, Blue swallows nervously. Things are far worse than any of us thought it would be.

"The only thing left," adds Maxie. "is to decide on the Hoenn region. I want more land, and Archie wants more water. But instead of fighting, we are both trying to think of a reasonable compromise."

"That's good," N nods. "Have either of you come up with a good idea?"

"No, not yet," Archie admits.

"It was just too easy to get rid of those brats!" Ghetsis boasts. "Now nobody in the entire world can stop us!"

"Actually, Ghetsis, I have bad news." Giovanni tells the Plasma sage.

"What is it?" Ghetsis replies, irritated.

"Somehow those children came back in time with us. I captured and imprisoned them in the Rocket hideaway, but they escaped."

"WHAT?!" The other leaders exclaim.

"The good news is that they have no clue to this place." Giovanni finishes, ignoring the angry outburst from his allies.

Cyrus rolls his eyes. "Oh, that's just wonderful."

"Knowing them, they're probably out looking for us." Maxie says uncertainly. "I hate those twerps, but you've got to admit that they're pretty smart. Perhaps they've even found this place."

"It doesn't matter," Ghetsis waves his arm from underneath his dark cloak. "This place is top secret. The Admins and Commanders will alert us if there is any interference."  
_  
That's what they think. _I grin at Blue, and he returns it with a knowing smirk. All of the Teams' top-ranking members have been defeated.

N's hand waves a little from behind his back, signaling us.

Iris swings the door open with a bang. "Sorry to disappoint you, Ghetsis…"

"…But the Admins won't be telling you anything," Cynthia finishes.

"Gah! How did you find us?!" Archie's jaw drops open in shock.

"Some of your Grunts were careless about being secretive on their way down here," Steven explains coolly.

"N!" Ghetsis swings his head to glare at the young man. "You led them here, didn't you? You traitor!"

N approaches the sage's anger calmly. "It's true, Ghetsis. I did lead them to the castle. I wanted to help them stop you, Team Plasma, and everybody else!"

"Now, everyone!" Lance shouts to us. "Dragonite!" he sends out his Dragon/Flying-Type.

"Charizard!" Blue shouts.

"Garchomp!" Cynthia exclaims.

"Haxorus!" Iris reels her arm back and throws a Poké Ball.

"Metagross!" Steven calls out his Steel Pokémon.

I decide to call on Saur for this battle.

Upon seeing our powerful Pokémon, the leaders actually seem frightened, but for no longer than a heartbeat.

Giovanni slowly rises out of his chair. Faster than you can blink, a Smoke Ball lands in front of us and explodes, completely obscuring our vision and making us cough and sneeze.

Among the chaos, I hear unfamiliar voices.

"Prepare for trouble," a female voice speaks.

"And make it double," a male voice finishes the sentence.

"Who's there?" Blue shouts in the direction of the voices.

"To protect the world from devastation!" says the first speaker.

"To unite all peoples within our nation!" the second person adds.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

The smoke reveals two people dressed in white uniforms standing on a ledge suspended several feet above us. Judging by the big red "R" on their chests, I'd say that they are both members of Team Rocket.

"Jessie!" The first person, a woman with long, dark pink hair announces her name.

The second person is a man with short purple hair. "James!" he proclaims his name.

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!" says Jessie.

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" adds James.

"Meowth! That's right!" a cat-like Pokémon back flips and lands between the two Rockets.

"What…was that?" Blue stares at the trio, completely weirded out.

"The Team Rocket motto!" The three announce proudly.

"Personally, I think that the Rocket acronym is better." Blue scoffs. "**R**aid** O**n the** C**ity,** K**nockout,** E**vil** T**usks. Then again, they're both lame. Neither makes any sense."

"How dare you!" Jessie shrieks. "Go, Woobat! Use your Air Slash!"

A small, furry blue bat Pokémon with a heart on its nose flaps its tiny wings furiously, creating strong gusts of wind that form into sharp little blades. They remind me of Koga's shuriken balls.

"Charizard, counter it with Fire Spin!" Blue commands.

The two attacks collide, momentarily creating a smokescreen. Neither Pokémon has been harmed by either attack.

"Woobat, Hidden Power!" Jessie calls out.

Woobat created several green orbs of energy and shoots them at Charizard.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Blue responds.

Flames from Charizard's mouth shoot out and blast the Bat Pokémon. Woobat crashes into the ground, knocked out.

"This twerp is good…" Jessie mutters as she recalls her Pokémon. "Well, don't just stand there," she barks at her partner-in-crime. "Get in here and help out!"

"R-right," stammers James. "Go, Yamask!"

Yamask is a black Pokémon with big red eyes. It has two arms and a tail, which carries a golden mask.

"Shall we split?" Jessie glances sideways at her coworkers.

"No; the Boss would have a fit." Meowth objects.

"You guys speak in rhyme, too?" Blue throws is arms up in disgust. "I give up! This is just too bizarre."

"That's good, because you're Charizard would come in handy." Jessie says slyly.

Meowth bares its teeth in a cat-grin. "This is all working out just dandy,"

"I'd like to see you try," Blue challenges.

Suddenly, James rolls up with a huge machine. A large metal arm extends from its body and grabs Charizard, hoisting it high in the air.

Blue thinks fast. "Go, Scizor! Bust Charizard out of there!"

The red Bug-and-Steel-Type zips up to Team Rocket's machine. Before it can hammer into the metal body with its pincers, James releases a second metal limb to swat Scizor away.

"Oh no, you don't! Scizor, use Metal Claw to break open the machine!" Blue commands.

Scizor closes in for the second time and successfully frees Charizard, at the same time destroying the metal tank. The explosion causes the Team Rocket trio to go flying.

"It looks like Team Rocket's blasting off agai-i-n-n!" The three shout in unison as they soar out a window.

"Great job, Blue," Lance compliments.

Blue shrugs. "I was more than happy to get rid of those three weirdos. It's a wonder Giovanni hasn't fired them."

"My guess is that they were supposed to stall us." Lance decides. "Now we have to find the leaders all over again."

"Where could they be?" Cynthia wonders aloud.

"Guys, N's not here," Iris pipes up.

"What? Where'd he go?" asks Steven.

"I bet he vanished in the smoke," Lance guesses. "Come on; we have to find him."

* * *

The entire castle is one giant maze. It's a wonder how the leaders get around so easily.

We check each door as we pass through each hallway. But there is no sign of the Team leaders or N anywhere.

The candles perched on the stone walls begin to dwindle, and we are soon surrounded by darkness.

"Hey, where is everybody?" Blue yells from somewhere in the dark.

"Who keeps bumping into me?" Steven's voice echoes so that I can't tell where he is.

"Sorry," Iris giggles.

"Okay everyone; calm down. One at a time." Lance says. "Cynthia? Follow my voice you find me."

"Okay…"

Footsteps thud on the stone floor. Finally, Cynthia speaks. "Found you!"

Iris finds Lance next; then Steven; then Blue. Only I am left.

"Red! This way," Blue calls out to me. I follow my friends' voices until I brush against someone's arm.

"Is that everyone?" Lance asks.

"Yes!" Everyone answers.

Blue answers for me. "Red is here,"

"Good. Let's move carefully. Hold hands with the person next to you." Lance instructs.

I rather self-consciously take Blue's hand.

We grope our way along the rough stone walls, hoping to find an exit. We need to find N and the leaders quickly, and the blackness is not helping one bit. How many things can be against us?

My free hand suddenly brushes…wood. I feel vertical cracks running up and down, like a door. It must be a secret room! Since I can't open my mouth to speak and let my friends know, I tug on Blue's arm.

"What?" he grumbles. He doesn't like to hold my hand, either.

I take his arm to let him feel the wooden cracks.

"Guys!" Blue calls to our friends. "Red found a room."

"Is there a knob anywhere?" asks Cynthia. "I wish there was a way to light this place up so we could see…"

There is! I completely forgot about the HM move I taught Pika: Flash. Flash is used to light up dark places, like here! The only problem is that I don't know which Poké Ball is Pika's without any light to see it. But as I feel the Balls on my belt, static electricity from one of them makes the hair on my arm stand on end.  
_  
Pop!_

"Who sent out their Pokémon?" Steven asks.

Blue knows just what I'm planning. "Red sent out Pika so it could use Flash to light up the area." he announces to everyone.

"Great!" I hear Iris exclaim happily. "I'm tired of walking around blind."

I can feel Pika fidgeting against my leg. He doesn't like being in the dark anymore than we do. Without waiting for a command, a bright burst of light expands from his body and fills the area. For a brief moment the darkness is overcome by white light. When it fades, my friends and I can see each other again.

"Great job, Red and Pika!" Steven praises.

Blue shows his gratitude by gratefully wrenching his hand free of mine.

I look down proudly at Pika. My Pokédex says that Pikachu are supposed to be highly intelligent; I can tell you firsthand that it's true.  
Iris places a hand on a round gray sphere jutting out from the wall. "Ah! Here's a doorknob!"

Now that our vision is restored, we notice that the wooden door is painted up to look like the stones on the wall. I was right— it is a secret room.

"What do you think is in there?" Cynthia's voice is a worried whisper.

Blue turns the knob. "There's only one way to find out."

Not surprisingly, the door is locked. But Blue has no problem with using his foot to kick down the door.

"So, you've found us again," Giovanni greets us as we enter, but his friendly tone doesn't fool us.

"Enough with the game of hide-and-seek," Blue snaps. "It's time for all of you to fight us face-to-face!"

"Cyrus?" Giovanni glances over his shoulder with a meaningful look at the Galactic Leader.

Cyrus barely nods in reply and turns to a control panel. He presses a button, and at once the whole room starts to shake as if in an earthquake. The roof slides sideways into the wall, revealing the blue sky; consequently, the floor we're standing on ascends through the opening.

The floor stops with a jolt. We are high off of the ground, above the treetops.

Lance scans the rooftop. "Where are we?" he demands.

"Welcome to the battle arena," Ghetsis addresses all of us. "This is where the battle between you—" he gestures to Lance, Blue, Cynthia, Steven, Iris, and me. "—and us, the leaders of the Teams Rocket, Aqua, Magma, Galactic, and Plasma, will take place."

I catch sight of N, who is being carefully guarded by two Plasma Grunts. His face creases with pain at the mention of the battle. I feel sympathy for him, but there is no other way.

"Each person will use one Pokémon," announces Ghetsis. "The fight will be over when one side's Pokémon are all unable to continue."

"Just one thing," interrupts Blue. "If we win, you guys have to give up your plans and never, ever do anything like this ever again."

"Fine, then," Giovanni agrees. "But if we win, you will allow us to proceed with our goals. And you will assist us in doing so."

"Fine. We accept your terms."

I scan my Poké Balls. I can only choose one, so I must pick carefully.

"Is everybody ready?" Lance says to us. He's not asking if we have chosen our Pokémon; he wants to know if we are ready to fight a hard battle.

"Yes," My friends reply solemnly. I nod my head. Each of us is ready to fight to the finish. Together we can take the leaders down.

"Go!"

* * *

**Yeah, I know. Red lost his voice. I'm cruel, but I really can't help it sometimes. Sorry.**

***I use some of the Chuang Yi names. I read the Ruby/Sapphire chapter online. So for those of you who do not know: Mitch=Tabitha, Mack=Blaise. **


	7. The Final Battle I

Everyone sends out our Pokémon at the very same moment.

For a moment time seems to stop. Even the wind has stopped blowing. It's as if the entire forest is holding its breath, anticipating the difficult battle that is mere heartbeats away.

The moment of peace is no more.

"Nidoking, Rock Tomb!" Giovanni commands.

Large, pointed rocks fall from of nowhere, as if a portal from another world has opened.

Steven comes to our Pokémons' rescue. "Skarmory, destroy the stones with Steel Wing!"

Skarmory's metal wings are now shinier and sharper. It streaks through the Rock Tomb at breakneck speed. Nidoking's attack is reduced to no more than a pile of rubble.

"Camerupt, torch that bird with Flamethrower!" Maxie orders his Pokémon.

Camerupt's Fire attacks are fast despite Camerupt's slow and heavy build. Skarmory, however, is much faster and easily dodges.

"Hydreigon, Dragon Pulse that Nidoking!" Iris commands. Hydreigon's main head opens its mouth and fires an electric beam.

Archie attempts to attack Iris from behind. "Walrein, use your Ice Beam on Hydreigon!"

Iris smirks. "Hydreigon, Charge Beam!"

"What? That's impossible. Even if you call of your attack, you'll still be hit one way or another." Archie says smugly and folds his arms across his chest.

Iris ignores him. "Do it!"

Hydreigon positions its right arm so that it is aimed directly at Walrein. The head on the arm opens up its mouth and fires Charge Beam at the Ice Break Pokémon. At the same time, the main head continues attacking Nidoking with Dragon Pulse.

Archie inhales sharply. "_What?!_"

Charge Beam crushes Ice Beam and slams into Walrein. At the same moment, Dragon Pulse strikes Nidoking.

In the meantime, Blue's Charizard is trying to torch Cyrus's swift Ice-and-Dark-Type, Weavile.

"Charizard, Fire Spin!" Blue orders.

"Weavile, dodge it," Cyrus answers calmly. Weavile easily darts away from the flames.

Everything around me is happening so fast. It's my turn to get into the fight. For a brief moment I think back. When I had to watch my Pokémons' terror as the Rocket scientists came near them, I was totally powerless. I never, ever want to experience anything like that again.

Saur is looking me in the eye, waiting patiently for orders.

I open my mouth to make some sort of noise, but nothing comes out. Frustration and anger boil inside of me. Then I catch the haughty gleam in Giovanni's eyes, and my rage increases. That dirty snake! He knows what happened to me. Did he _intend _for me to lose my voice back at the Rocket hideaway? And he put my own Pokémon in danger to do so!

I break away from Giovanni's gaze and look Saur in the eye. Giovanni thinks that I won't be able to participate in this battle. I'll show him just how wrong he is.

Nidoking is quickly advancing toward Saur. My Pokémon looks at me expectantly. I grin at Saur and signal with my hand. Without question, Saur executes the move Razor Leaf. Nidoking stumbles backwards, almost losing his balance.

Surprise crosses Giovanni's face. He didn't expect me to fight back.

"Heads up!" Cynthia calls out.

Garchomp's Stone Edge attack whizzes like bullets through the gap between Nidoking and Saur. The many small, pointed stones strike three of Maxie's Camerupt's blue rings like the bull's-eye on a target.

In angry retaliation, Camerupt spouts an enormous Eruption from the two humps on its back. A pillar of flames shoots skyward, causing nearby rocks and rubble to heat rapidly and fly outward in various directions.

All of our Pokémon have been badly injured by the attack. Especially Saur and Skarmory, since they are both weak to Fire.

"Hang in there, everyone!" Lance yells encouragement.

"Garchomp, use Dragon Rush on Ghetsis' Hydreigon!" Cynthia shouts.

"Walrein, intercept it with Icy Wind," Archie responds.

"Hyper Beam!" Lance commands. Dragonite's antennae briefly glow as it charges up the attack; then fire a powerful energy beam at Walrein.

"Hydreigon, Dragon Pulse!" Ghetsis commands.

"Flamethrower," Blue counters.

It's a whirlwind of attacks at every turn. I can hardly pick out friend from foe.

A dark blur suddenly flashes in front of me. Before I can react, a series of rapid-fire attacks strike Saur. The Pokémon doesn't show any sign of letting up, either. I motion to Saur. Despite its pain, it opens its shut eyes, receives the message, and launches a Vine Whip. The attacking Pokémon easily slashes through the vine, but it also slows down for a moment, letting me catch a glimpse of its appearance. I signal for the Razor Leaf attack. The attacker, Cyrus's Weavile, is flung backwards.

I smile secretly to myself. Hand signals are a code I went over with Saur before we set off to find this place. Since I can't talk, I figured out another way to battle. It's an awesome idea; nobody can guess which attack my Pokémon will use next.

"Great job! Now I can finish it off," Blue shoots a glance at the stunned Weavile lying on the ground. "Charizard, Flamethrower!"

Flamethrower's aim is true, but Weavile has suddenly vanished. The flames only scorch the arena.

"Where'd it go?" Blue scans the area from Charizard's back.

Weavile suddenly appears behind Charizard. "Night Slash!" commands Cyrus. A chain of slashes is scored. Charizard crashes to the ground as a result of its wings being cut. Blue tumbles next to it.

I race over to help Blue to his feet.

Blue dusts himself off. "I'm alright. It's Charizard that needs help."

Weavile is finished with Charizard and is rushing at Saur, its paw encased entirely in ice.  
_  
Time to slow it down, _I think. I give Saur the signal for PoisonPowder. A cloud of poisonous spores explodes in Weavile's face. Weavile coughs, staggers, and then collapses onto the ground, unable to continue fighting.

"No!" Cyrus cries out when he sees his fainted Pokémon. "Weavile, return," He holds up the Poké Ball and Weavile is recalled.  
Garchomp and Skarmory are tag-teaming against Walrein and Camerupt.

"Garchomp, use Dragon Rush on Walrein!" Cynthia commands.

"Skarmory, attack Walrein with Steel Wing!" adds Steven.

Both Pokémon rush at Walrein. Skarmory's wings are a shiny metallic color; Garchomp holds out its arms, ready to slash. Before either Pokémon can land a blow, their attacks fall short.

"What wrong, Garchomp?" Cynthia asks her Pokémon. Garchomp only returns her confused expression.

Archie and Maxie take her dilemma as an opportunity to attack.

"Walrein, Ice Beam!"

"Camerupt, Overheat!"

Before Cynthia and Steven can react, Skarmory and Garchomp are sailing through the air. They land on the roof with a force that causes it to crack.

"Skarmory!" Steven bends over his defeated Pokémon. "You fought well," he whispers. "Take a good rest," he recalls Skarmory to its Poké Ball.

Garchomp is withdrawn as well.

"Iris! Lance! Red!" Blue looks at each one of us in turn as he says our names. "It's just the four of us, now. Let's do our best!"

"Right!" we pump our fists in the air.

"Hydreigon, Surf!" Iris calls with renewed enthusiasm.

A towering wave of water is summoned from out of nowhere. It floods the entire arena within seconds, impacting every Pokémon. However, Charizard, Dragonite, and Ghetsis' Hydreigon have flown out of the attack's reach. Saur is fine, because Water moves don't harm Grass-Types much. Camerupt isn't as fortunate; it is down and out. And it seems like Walrein is standing on its last legs.

We just might be close to winning this battle!

"Dragonite, Draco Meteor!" shouts Lance.

A brief burst of light flashes faintly from high in the sky. One second later, dozens of boulders rain down from the very same place where the light was.

"Hydreigon, Charge Beam!" Iris commands.

Blue and I nod at each other. It's time to use the Ultimate Moves.

"Charizard, Blast Burn!" Blue yells at the top of his lungs.  
_  
"Venusaur, Frenzy Plant!" _I scream in my head, giving Saur the signal at the same time.

Giovanni knows just how powerful the Ultimate Moves are, and tries to build a defense. "Nidoking, block it with Rock Tomb!" he orders. Tall rocks form a shield around the remaining leaders' Pokémon.

It's no use. Frenzy Plant and Blast Burn cut in front of the other attacks and completely crush the Rock Tomb shield into rubble. The Ultimate Moves don't stop there, either. They both slam into Nidoking, Walrein, and Ghetsis' Hydreigon with such force and strength that all three are instantly KO'd.

"Unbelievable…" stammers Archie.

"We…were beaten?" Giovanni's mouth hangs open in shock. His voice shakes as if he can scarcely believe what just happened.

"It's over," Lance steps up onto a broken slab of the arena. "Now, give up this foolish scheme."

Ghetsis throws his head back and laughs.

"What's so funny?" Blue snarls.

"Do you all really think that it's over?" Ghetsis' evil laughter booms loudly over the now-silent arena.

As if on cue, Cyrus rises to his feet. "Dialga," he says. "Roar of Time!"

* * *

**I tried to make the battle interesting. I'm still kind of new at this.**


	8. The Final Battle II

"You had a Pokémon hidden?!" Iris gasps in anger. "You cheats! I should have known!"

"Of course," Giovanni states without shame. "We know that the six of you are some of the most powerful Pokémon Trainers in the entire world. We had to make some…well, 'preparations'." he gestures with his hand as he says the word.

Cyrus cackles softly. "And soon, the Pokémon that controls time— Dialga— will annihilate all of you meddling kids!"

"Don't bother trying to stop us," adds Maxie.  
_  
You wish, _I think, casting a glare at the Team leaders.

"Dialga, Roar of Time!" Cyrus commands.

Suddenly, far away on the peak of a cliff, I hear the distinct sound of a Pokémon bellowing. Could it be Dialga?

Ripples like rings spread out over the arena. The bellowing has gotten noticeably louder. It increases in volume until my eardrums pop. Then the noise quickly dies down, replaced by an eerie silence.

I look around. Nothing is different. Was Cyrus just bluffing when he commanded Dialga?

"Nothing happened," Lance murmurs.

Dragonite suddenly collapses.

"What on earth—?" Lance rushes to inspect his Pokémon for injuries.

"Hahaha," Cyrus laughs. "Dialga has just attacked,"

Huh?

"I didn't see anything," Blue scoffs.

"Of course not," Cyrus says simply. "As you know, Dialga can control time. Time stopped when Dialga used the Roar of Time, and while time was frozen, it attacked Dragonite."

Amazing… So this is Dialga's power. But that does not mean that I'm going to give up quite yet! There will always be a way to victory.

"Dialga, use Roar of Time!" Cyrus commands again.

I signal for Saur to use Vine Whip. Knowing just what I'm thinking, Saur wraps the vine around Dialga's mouth to keep it from opening. That will stop its attack!

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Blue takes advantage of Dialga's situation.

"Hydreigon, Dragon Pulse!" Iris shouts.

Every attack seems to hit…until the dust clouds clear away to reveal Dialga, unharmed, and its mouth freed from Vine Whip.

"No!" Iris cries out in frustration.

"Even without the Roar of Time, it can still control time?" Blue realizes.  
_  
"We can't give up!" _I cry inside my head.

"I think that it's time for the final blow, wouldn't you think?" Cyrus turns his head to nod at his allies. "Dialga, final blow: Roar of Time!"

The blue gem on Dialga's heart glows with sapphire light. The fins on its back are raised toward the sky, which is now darkening with thunderclouds. Dialga opens its mouth and gathers a mysterious energy into a single sphere of light. Then, in one breath, it fires a mighty indigo beam. Everything, living or non-living is blown backwards by the force of the shock-waves that the Roar of Time generates.

Our Pokémon have been beaten down. They can't even get on their feet.

Cyrus is not pleased that we are still here. "Dialga," he says, his voice low and threatening. "Ancient Power."

Large stones encircled by a strange aura float around Dialga. As if by pure will, the boulders surge forward to bombard us.

"Stop!" A scream rings out. N struggles free of the Plasma Grunts' grasp and runs to the Temporal Pokémon. "Please, stop it," N begs Dialga, his voice quivering. "This is too far. Innocent people and Pokémon are being harmed. Please, Dialga, I beg you to call off your attack." Tears slide down his cheeks.

N's voice has gotten through to Dialga's diamond heart. The boulders suspended above our heads are gently placed onto the arena floor.

We all breathe a sigh of relief. Nobody has been hurt.

Ghetsis advances toward N. The Plasma sage can barely contain his fury at the former king.

"N!" his thunderous bellow echoes across the treetops. "I told you to stay out of this!"

N tries to remain calm. "You are the one who brought me back in time in the first place, Ghetsis. I simply cannot watch innocent Pokémon get hurt when they have already been beaten. Cyrus has carried things too far with Dialga's power. He should not even be allowed to control the Legendary Pokémon."

Ghetsis raises his arm to strike N. Dialga has returned to its possessed state, and is gathering a powerful attack.

"Lucario, Aura Sphere!"

"Metagross, Meteor Mash!"

A sphere of blue light and a punch that hits as hard as a meteor collide into Dialga. Dialga shudders; then collapses onto the arena floor.

"Who did that?" Ghetsis spins around.

Through the dust clouds that the attacks whipped up, two figures step out. Steven and Cynthia!

"You two!" growls Maxie.

"Awesome attacks, guys!" Iris cheers.

"Look," Lance points at Dialga.

Mysterious light is enveloping the Temporal Pokémon. The light expands until it is so blinding that for a few moments everything is bathed in white. Then the light fades away.

I blink and rub my eyes. Dialga is nowhere to be seen.

"It appears that Dialga has gone away," N announces, brushing his tears away. "It is now free of Cyrus's control."

"NOOOO!" Archie and Maxie shout together. "Now we've really been defeated!"

"Well, then," Steven smiles. "I think that it's about time we all return home, wouldn't you think, Dialga?"

The very same light that enveloped the Temporal Pokémon is surrounding everybody. I can see nothing but bright, calm white in front of me. I feel like we're floating upward towards the sky. I let out a relaxed sigh and drift off.

* * *

"Hey," someone shakes me. "Wake up, Red,"

I open my eyes. Steven is kneeling beside me. I sit up.

"Good," he nods.

Cynthia looks around. "How about that— Dialga trans-ported us right back onto Mt. Silver."

"No one is hurt, I presume?" Lance says.

"Nope," We shake our heads.

"That was _awesome_!" Iris shrieks suddenly, waking up a few sleeping Golbat. "That was the most epic adventure I've ever had in my entire life!"

Everyone smiles.

"I have to admit," Lance says. "It was a lot of fun, too."

"So what do we do now?" Blue wonders aloud.

"Well, I guess that we just return to our homelands." Cynthia says. "It's going to be tough saying good-bye to everyone, though."

She's right. Most of us still have duties back in the regions where we came from. Still, I doubt we'll forget this adventure we had together. There were the good things and the bad things, but we pulled together and finally put an end to Team Rocket's, Team Aqua's, Team Magma's, Team Galactic's, and Team Plasma's plans.

I don't want to forget all that so quickly, so I'll be staying atop Mt. Silver for a while longer.

Steven announces something surprising. "I've decided that I'll be staying in Kanto for a while."

"Why?" Blue asks.

"I want to see what kind of rare stones can be found here."

"As for me," Cynthia stands up. "I'll be returning to Sinnoh. I wish all of you luck in the future."

"I've got to go back to Unova, but I'll spend a few days here," Iris says.

Lance exits just outside of the cave. "I'm going back to the Indigo Plateau. Good-bye, everyone," He sends out Dragonite—who, like all of our Pokémon, has been healed— and flies off.

Iris, Cynthia, and Steven depart. Only Blue and I are left.

"I think I'll go pay Gramps a visit before heading back to Viridian City," Blue tells me. "Are you going to stay up here?"

I nod.

Blue takes off on Charizard.

I slowly walk to the ledge where I stood just a week ago. When I stare out at the setting sun, I feel the same peace as there was several days ago. A renewed sense of peace.


End file.
